Nomad's Refuge

Check into secluded Treebones Resort, and enjoy the best of Big
Sur.

As it twists along the central California coast, fabled Highway
1 carries far more convertibles than your average road. Given a
choice, who'd want to shut out any of Big Sur's cinematic scenery
with a hardtop? Still, even with their roofs retracted, few
motorists notice the soft-tops clustered above them, on a bluff
overlooking the Pacific. They're yurts, the round tents long
favored by nomads on the vast steppes of Mongolia. At
Treebones
Resort, they've proven equally well-suited to the grandeur of
Big
Sur.

Planted on platforms, the yurts feature such homey elements as
wood doors and floors, lamps, heaters, skylights, and comfortable
furniture. "It's like camping but better," declares a guest not
accustomed to roughing it. "You come here after a day of hiking and
it's as though someone pitched the tent for you. And you don't have
to sleep on the ground."

The remarkable eco-resort was conceived and built by Corinne and
John Handy, who bought the property two decades ago. "For years we
came here as a family and camped," says Corinne. When the property
was rezoned commercial, they realized others would enjoy the same
experience: "People are looking for something different," John
says. "This is a unique place to stay, hanging out on the edge of
the continent."

In this still-wild spot, winter storms churn the sea and
sometimes close roads. "We've had gusting 80-mile-an-hour winds,"
John says. "The yurts just shrug them off. They're inherently
flexible and wind-resistant." All 16 yurts have hot-water sinks,
with showers and toilets housed in separate, communal buildings.
More than a way to curry favor with the public, the eco-friendly
aspects are highly practical. Treebones is largely self-contained.
A well supplies potable water. Electricity comes from quiet propane
generators, and their exhaust heat warms the pool, hot tub, and
bath floors.

A centrally located lodge contains the gift shop, reception
area, and a dining room with a vaulted pine ceiling. "We wanted a
community center where people could gather at the end of the day
and share their adventures," John explains. At breakfast, guests
fuel up on waffles, fruit, yogurt, and coffee. Dinner typically
presents a choice of fish, chicken, or beef, all grilled over wood
and served with vegetables.

After meals, a few guests happily retreat into their fabric
cocoons, perhaps enjoying an in-room massage, occasionally emerging
to soak in the hot tub or lounge on Adirondack chairs placed
outside each yurt. While the resort can arrange guided hikes and
sea kayaking with local outfitters, most visitors venture out on
their own to sample Big Sur's bracing beauty. On both sides of
Highway 1, easy hikes lead to glorious beaches, waterfalls, and
ancient redwoods.

Nearby, the arches of Willow Creek Bridge curve theatrically
above a boulder-strewn beach. A mile or two north, a long stairway
leads down to cliff-backed Sand Dollar Beach. The surf here gallops
ashore like stampeding horses, white manes flying. Farther up the
highway, a trail at Limekiln State Park leads to a pretty cascade
pouring over a vertical garden of mosses.

The restaurants and attractions clustered in the northern half
of Big Sur are easy enough to reach from Treebones, in the emptier
southern end. But guests find plenty to do without going far from
their domed homes. For lunch, they pack a picnic or grab a table on
nearby Lucia Lodge's clifftop terrace, where the burgers are as
impressive as the view.

The yurts seem a far cry from opulent Hearst Castle, 25 miles to
the south. But consider this: For years before he built his seaside
Xanadu, William Randolph Hearst and his family camped on their land
in nicely furnished, wood-floor tents. Hearst loved this majestic
coast, and no doubt he would have appreciated the rustic ease of
Treebones Resort.